I’m hosting my first ever Sportsball Party this weekend, so of course I’m most looking forward to the food. Lucky me, I just got a spiffy new addition to my kitchen gadget collection, the Paderno Spiralizer. Along with making oodles of zoodles, the first thing I looked forward to making was a baked version of a curly fry. The widest setting on the Paderno was perfect for this! It worked with both sweet and regular potatoes, and I plan to experiment with other root vegetables in the future. Perfect lighter fare for your game day plans, whatever other decadence is served alongside them. …

While it may be true that neither one of your intrepid bloggers here at Apron Strings is a huge football fanatic (this accurately illustrates where Anne’s knowledge stands), we both love any excuse to get together with friends and family – especially when food is part of the celebration. Whoever you’re rooting for, or even if you’re not rooting for anyone at all, we hope you’ll find some great snack and appetizer ideas here, starting with the Savory S’moresabove.

I made Scotch eggs for the very first time just a few weeks ago, using a recipe from Melissa Joulwan’s outstanding cookbook “Well Fed” and was immediately struck by how much they resemble adorable little footballs. A roommate suggesting finding a way to put stitches on them, and a Superbowl recipe was born. As an entree, one ‘football’ per person would totally suffice, but if you’re having a lot of munchies during the big game, half an egg per person is probably plenty – they’re very hefty little numbers.

I mixed up Melissa’s recipe to make it a little spicier and added some sriracha mayo (shown just as stitching here; you’ll probably want a little more to dip). The mayo was also from “Well Fed”, and the sriracha was Nom Nom Paleo’s homemade fabulousness, but feel free to use any you like and have on hand. Game on! …

We have to have at least one Superbowl Special here, right? Have I got a fabulous dip for you. In case you’ve never heard of Wegmans, it’s a legendary local-ish grocery chain in Pennsylvania and parts of New York state. All the standards of a conventional supermarket, with what is like a mini-Whole Foods and an excellent prepared food section incorporated into the rest of the store. It was at their Mediterranean Olive Bar that I discovered the tastiest dip I’ve ever had. I seriously could NOT stop eating it – a smoky, tangy, creamy spinach concoction with just enough chipotle flavor to smolder your taste buds without burning.

The only problem is the price – 5.99 per pound, and believe me, it disappears shockingly fast. So, of course, it was off to the drawing board!…

I should state straightaway that I am NOT ordinarily a football fan at all – most years I don’t even know who’s in the Superbowl until after it happens, if ever. But this year, a friend of mine is absolutely ecstatic about the fact that the New Orleans Saints are playing, as he’s been a loyal fan his whole life (a Louisiana native) and this is apparently their first time making it all the way! I also happen to adore New Orleans and hope to go back there many more times in my life, for so many reasons, not the least of which is the cuisine.

So this is my tribute to Chuck and his beloved Saints. It’s somewhere between a chili and a gumbo, and I hope Cajun purists don’t balk at my machinations. …